Mullvad VPN discontinues support for Port Forwarding due to misuse

Mullvad VPN, a renowned provider of secure and private internet connections, has recently made a significant announcement regarding the discontinuation of support for forwarded ports. As of July 1, 2023, the company will no longer support new port forwards, and all existing ports will be removed. This decision comes as a response to the misuse of port forwarding, which has led to several undesirable consequences.

Initially, port forwarding served as a convenient feature for Mullvad VPN users, allowing them to grant access to services behind the VPN to friends and family. However, it has become apparent that this functionality has been exploited for hosting malicious content and undesirable services. Instances of law enforcement contacts, blacklisted IPs, and cancelled hosting providers have arisen due to the abuse of port forwarding.

Unfortunately, the negative consequences of this misuse have affected the majority of Mullvad's users, leading the company to take decisive action. By discontinuing support for port forwarding, Mullvad aims to address these issues and provide a more secure and reliable service. As of now, users with active ports will no longer be able to add or modify them, and the ability to add port forwards has been completely removed from all accounts.

Starting today, the option to add ports will be gradually phased out, and by July 1, all existing configured ports will be removed entirely. It's important to note that users who do not utilize port forwarding will not be affected by this change.